About the Orchestra

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was formed in December 1935 and is a key contributor to the BBC’s broadcasting and cultural role.

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Based at:

City Halls, Glasgow

Chief Conductor:

Thomas Dausgaard

Principal Guest Conductor:

Ilan Volkov

Artist-in-Association:

Matthias Pintscher

Conductor Emeritus:

Donald Runnicles

Leader:

Laura Samuel

Formed in December 1935, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra is Scotland’s national broadcasting orchestra and performs to large and enthusiastic audiences in venues throughout the country. It has been at the heart of the nation’s cultural life for many years and has a well-earned reputation for its creative ambition, its pioneering spirit and wide range of repertoire. It maintains a busy schedule of broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Television, and Online.

Based at City Halls in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City, the BBC SSO is Scotland’s leading champion of new music, and has established strong links with local communities through its thriving learning and outreach programme. It is a major partner in Big Noise, Scotland’s innovative project for social change through music, plays a major role in the BBC’s Ten Pieces initiative, and has a close association with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, working over a variety of disciplines with conductors, composers, soloists and orchestral players. As well as taking live music to towns and cities across Scotland, it appears regularly at the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival and at other major festivals. In recent years the orchestra has toured to India, South America, China, Holland and Belgium.

Thomas Dausgaard became Chief Conductor in September 2016 taking over from Donald Runnicles who held the post since 2009 and now becomes Conductor Emeritus.

A past recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Best Orchestra, the BBC SSO’s commercial recordings have received a number of prizes, including four Gramophone Awards.